Hot-gas reciprocating apparatus



Jan. 13, 1959 RTJ. MEYER HOT-GAS RECIPROCATING APPARATUS Filed May 1. 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l fli INVENTOR ROELF JAN MEYER AGENT Jan. 13, 1959 R. J. MEYER 2,867,973

HOT-GAS RECIPROCATING APPARATUS Filed May 1. 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

INVENTOR 'ROELF JAN MEYER United States Patent HOT-GAS REClPROCATI-NG APPARATUS Roelf Jan Meyer, Eindhoven, Netherlands, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to North American Philips Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware This patent application relates to a hot-gas reciprocating apparatus comprising a device for supplying working medium to one or more working spaces of the apparatus. The apparatus comprises a circulation channel for medium which can be traversed in one direction only and which includes arranged in series a reducing device, a non-return valve, a second non-return valve and a second reducing device, the working space of the apparatus to which working medium is to be supplied communicating with the circulation channel at a point between the two non-return valves, and the circulation channel at a point between the two reducing devices. The working space also communicating with at least one supply vessel for the medium to be supplied, the reducing devices being coupled in such a manner that their displacing forces are in the same proportion to one another as the compression ratio of the apparatus, and that reducing device on which the highest pressure of the cycle prevails has exerted upon it the greatest displacing force.

In the present application there is described a displacing device for the reducing devices which may be used with the above-mentioned hot-gas reciprocating apparatus. I

According to the invention, the displacing forces for the reducing devices are exerted by means of a displacing device comprising a spring, a variation in the tension of the spring bringing about a variation in the displacing forces, and said spring being subject to two forces, of which one is derived from a cycle pressure occurring in the working space of the apparatus. The aforesaid force substantially unloads the displacing device and the other may bring about variation in the tension of the spring. With the said displacing device it is ensured that the force required for displacing the reducing devices is comparatively small, so that displacement may alternatively be effected with the use of a regulator.

In one embodiment of the invention, the displacing device is substantially unloaded by a force brought about by the maximum pressure of the working medium in the apparatus.

In a further embodiment, the displacing device is substantially unloaded by a force brought about by the minimum pressure of the working medium in the apparatus.

The accompanying figures show diagrammatically, by way of example, one embodiment of a device according to the invention. I

Fig. 1 shows a diagrammatic view of the regulating circuit embodying the present invention and Fig. 2 shows a sectional view on a greater scale of the displacing device.

Fig. 3 is a partially sectional and a partially diagrammatic view showing the regulating device embodying the present invention employed with a conventional hot gas engine.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and especially Fig. l, the regulating circuit shown therein comprises a channel 1, which may be connected with a hotgas reciprocating apparatus. The channel 1 is divided into two channels 2 and 3, in which non-return valves 4 and 5 are arranged in such manner that the non-return valve 4 can open only if working medium is required to be supplied to the working space in the apparatus in which event the valve 5 is closed, and the valve 5 can open only if working medium is required to be discharged from the working space, in which event the valve 4 is closed. The channels 2 and 3 are each connected to a reducing device, more particularly to valves 6 and 7 respectively. The valves are arranged in such a manner that the valve 6 is opened upon moving to the left and the valve 7 closes the passage upon moving to the left. The valves 6 and 7 comprise valve stems 8 and 9, respectively. The straight guide of the valves and stems is effected with the use of guides 10 and 11, respectively, which are scoured to a valve casing 12. The reducing devices are substantially unloaded and for this purpose the valve stems 8 and 9 have provided on them discs 13 and 14, the diameters of which are equal to those of the valves. Owing to the equality of said surfaces the operation of the valves is not dependent on any variations in pressure occurring in the valve casing. The spaces in the valve casing 12 are closed with respect to the atmosphere with the use of bellows 15 and 16 which are secured to both the valve casing and the discs 13 and 14 respectively. A supply vessel 18 supplies working medium through conduit 17, channels 2 and 1 to the hot-gas reciprocating apparatus. The stems 8 and 9 are articulated to one another with the use of a lever 19. Acting upon the lever 19 is an adjusting screw 20 which is adapted to be turned with the use of a lever 21 so that a greater or lesser force may be exerted upon the point of application 22 of the lever 19. The channel 2 has a branch conduit 23 which is connected to a space in the displacing device so as to enable the latter to be unloaded.

The displacing device is shown in Fig. 2 on a larger scale and is constituted by a housing 30 in which a sleeve 31 may slide. A pin 32, which is slidable in sleeve 31, is in contact with the lever 19. A compression spring 33 is provided between sleeve 31 and pin 32. A space 34 existing above the sleeve 31 is coupled by way of a channel 23 to the conduit 2 of Fig. 1, so that in the space 34 the maximum pressure of the cycle prevails which also occurs in the conduit 2. A surface 35 of the sleeve 31 is so proportioned that there is substantially equilibrium between the forces acting upon the valves 6 and 7 and the force acting upon the surface 35. Displacement of the sleeve 31 thus requires little energy. In order .to displace the displacing device provision is made of a pin 36 which can be moved by means of pivoting arm 37 and a rod 38 connected to arm 37. The assembly being moved by means of a regulator (not shown), for example a centrifugal regulator, so that the compression of spring 33 may be varied. Consequently, spring 33 is subject to a force which is directly dependent upon the cycle pressures occurring in the working space of the apparatus and a force which may bring about variation in the tension of the spring.

It will be evident that the channel 23, if desired, may be connected to the conduit 3. In this case, the minimum pressure would be exerted upon the surface 35 of sleeve 31. However, it is in this case necessary to enlarge the surface 35 so that substantially equilibrium is made with the forces acting upon the valves 6 and 7. The displacing device according to the invention is at any time unloaded since a decrease in the maximum or minimum pressure in the working space of the apparatus due to which the force is acting upon the valves 6 and 7 also decreases brings about a proportionally smaller force upon the surface 35.

In the Fig. 3 a normal type of hot gas engine is shown provided with a displacer piston 44 and a working piston 55 which reciprocates in a cylinder 56. Above the displacer piston 44 a hot space 43 is present which is connected to the cold space 45 through a heater 46, a regenerator 47 and a cooler 48. The working piston is provided with a driving mechanism 49 to a crank shaft 50, whereas the displacer piston is connected to the same crank shaft by means of a driving mechanism 51. The hot gas engine is provided with a burner 52 and the fiue gases flow along the fins 53 of the heater and leave the engine through the duct 54. The hot gas engine is provided with a duct 15 which is connected with duct 1 of Fig. 1 of the application. Moreover in the sketch the regulating device according to Figures 1 and 2 of this application is shown including the supply vessel 18, a duct 17, a pin 36 and a pivoting arm 37 as well as valve casing 12. The pivoting arm is provided with an L-shaped connecting rod 33 which is connected to the regulator 40. This regulator may be rotated by means of bevel gear wheels 41 and 42.

c. While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that the latter may be embodied otherwise than as herein specifically illustrated or described and that in the illustrated embodiment certain changes in the details of construction and in the arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the underlying idea or principle of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for suppling working medium to at least one Working space of a hot-gas reciprocating apparatus comprising; a casing, a conduit system connected to said working space and including a main conduit, first and second branch conduits connecting said main conduit with said casing, a first non-return valve in said first branch conduit permitting working medium to be conducted to said casing, a second non-return valve in said second branch conduit preventing working medium from being conducted to said casing, a supply vessel, means communicating said supply vessel with said casing for supplying said working medium through said casing and one of said branch conduits to said Working space, two reducing valves in said casing, one of said reducing valves opening in the direction of said first non-return valve, the other of said reducing valves opening in the direction of said second non-return valve, means for simultaneously adjusting said reducing valves to predetermine the pressure at which they will open, said adjusting means including a common lever operatively connected to said reducing valves, an expandable chamber, an operating piston in said chamber, a spring at least substantially mounted in said chamber and operatively urged against said lever, and a conduit connecting said chamber with said second branch conduit whereby the pressure of the working medium connected back through said conduit and acting on said spring together with the pressure of the working medium on said reducing valves are substantially equal, and means actuated by the cycle pressures occurring in said working space of said engine for bringing about a variation in the tension of said spring which results in movement of said lever.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said adjusting means is operated by the maximum pressure of the working medium of said engine.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said adjusting means is operated by the minimum pressure of the working medium of said engine.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 334,153 Babcock Jan. 12, 1886 2,345,950 Salzmann Apr. 4, 1944 2,611,234 Horowitz Sept. 23, 1952 

